Balwyn vs Mont Albert North

In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Balwyn: a median of $2.6 million, against $1.7 million in Mont Albert North, though rent is higher in Mont Albert North. Balwyn is closer to the city centre: 13.6 km, against 18 km. On these figures, Mont Albert North tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Balwyn

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (11 vs 4)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 5)
  • But Mont Albert North carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 62/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Mont Albert North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,700,000 vs $2,600,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (30% vs 35%)
  • But Balwyn has cheaper units ($750,000 vs $1,062,888)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Balwyn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($451/wk vs $500/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Balwyn

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (13.6 km vs 18 km)
  • is more walkable (93/100 vs 73/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Balwyn

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (93/100 vs 73/100)
  • But Mont Albert North carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 62/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Mont Albert North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.0% vs 4.1%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.0% vs 2.5%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Balwyn and Mont Albert North drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Walkability 93 / 73
Balwyn — Walkability: 93/100 Mont Albert North — Walkability: 73/100
Safety 38 / 60
Balwyn — Safety: 38/100 Mont Albert North — Safety: 60/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Balwyn — Low fire risk: 100/100 Mont Albert North — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 73 / 62
Balwyn — Low flood risk: 73/100 Mont Albert North — Low flood risk: 62/100

Demographics

Balwyn has more residents (13,495 vs 5,609); Mont Albert North rents higher ($500/wk vs $451/wk).

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Population 13,495
+58% vs other
 5,609
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.4% +1.9%
Median age 43
same for both
Median household income $102,700/yr $113,568/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $451/wk $500/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
0-4 3.4% / 4.5%
Balwyn — 0-4: 3.4% Mont Albert North — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 12.8% / 13.6%
Balwyn — 5-14: 12.8% Mont Albert North — 5-14: 13.6%
15-19 7.0% / 7.0%
Balwyn — 15-19: 7.0% Mont Albert North — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 6.7% / 6.1%
Balwyn — 20-24: 6.7% Mont Albert North — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 10.0% / 8.7%
Balwyn — 25-34: 10.0% Mont Albert North — 25-34: 8.7%
35-44 12.4% / 13.0%
Balwyn — 35-44: 12.4% Mont Albert North — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 14.2% / 14.8%
Balwyn — 45-54: 14.2% Mont Albert North — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 12.4% / 12.9%
Balwyn — 55-64: 12.4% Mont Albert North — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 10.4% / 10.7%
Balwyn — 65-74: 10.4% Mont Albert North — 65-74: 10.7%
75-84 6.9% / 6.0%
Balwyn — 75-84: 6.9% Mont Albert North — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 3.8% / 2.8%
Balwyn — 85+: 3.8% Mont Albert North — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Balwyn 47.2% couple families
Balwyn — Couple Families: 47.2% Balwyn — Lone Person: 32.8% Balwyn — One Parent Families: 15.4% Balwyn — Group Household: 3.1% Balwyn — Other Families: 1.4%
Mont Albert North 51.6% couple families
Mont Albert North — Couple Families: 51.6% Mont Albert North — Lone Person: 29.2% Mont Albert North — One Parent Families: 14.6% Mont Albert North — Group Household: 3.0% Mont Albert North — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Balwyn 27.8% renting
Balwyn — Owned Outright: 44.0% Balwyn — Mortgage: 28.2% Balwyn — Renting: 27.8%
Mont Albert North 19.8% renting
Mont Albert North — Owned Outright: 43.7% Mont Albert North — Mortgage: 36.5% Mont Albert North — Renting: 19.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Bachelor Degree 25.7% / 23.2%
Balwyn — Bachelor Degree: 25.7% Mont Albert North — Bachelor Degree: 23.2%
Postgraduate Degree 11.6% / 10.9%
Balwyn — Postgraduate Degree: 11.6% Mont Albert North — Postgraduate Degree: 10.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 8.3%
Balwyn — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Mont Albert North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Certificate III & IV 4.2% / 5.7%
Balwyn — Certificate III & IV: 4.2% Mont Albert North — Certificate III & IV: 5.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 4.3%
Balwyn — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Mont Albert North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.7%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
China 17.2% / 11.0%
Balwyn — China: 17.2% Mont Albert North — China: 11.0%
Malaysia 3.3% / 3.4%
Balwyn — Malaysia: 3.3% Mont Albert North — Malaysia: 3.4%
India 3.6% / 1.7%
Balwyn — India: 3.6% Mont Albert North — India: 1.7%
England 2.4% / 2.2%
Balwyn — England: 2.4% Mont Albert North — England: 2.2%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.5%
Balwyn — New Zealand: 1.2% Mont Albert North — New Zealand: 1.5%
Vietnam 1.5% / 0.8%
Balwyn — Vietnam: 1.5% Mont Albert North — Vietnam: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Balwyn 58.5% houses
Balwyn — Houses: 58.5% Balwyn — Townhouses: 26.0% Balwyn — Flats / Apartments: 15.5%
Mont Albert North 63.3% houses
Mont Albert North — Houses: 63.3% Mont Albert North — Townhouses: 36.3% Mont Albert North — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Median house price $2,600,000 $1,700,000
Median unit price $750,000 $1,062,888
Median land price $3,288,888 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 86 sales
 24 days
from 62 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
2 bed $730K / $748K
Balwyn — 2 bed: $730K (85 sales) Mont Albert North — 2 bed: $748K (12 sales)

85 vs 12 sales

3 bed $1.36M / $1.21M
Balwyn — 3 bed: $1.36M (17 sales) Mont Albert North — 3 bed: $1.21M (18 sales)

17 vs 18 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
2 bed $1.66M / $1.23M
Balwyn — 2 bed: $1.66M (5 sales) Mont Albert North — 2 bed: $1.23M (6 sales)

5 vs 6 sales

3 bed $2.08M / $1.51M
Balwyn — 3 bed: $2.08M (33 sales) Mont Albert North — 3 bed: $1.51M (42 sales)

33 vs 42 sales

4 bed $2.62M / $1.77M
Balwyn — 4 bed: $2.62M (50 sales) Mont Albert North — 4 bed: $1.77M (43 sales)

50 vs 43 sales

5 bed $3.83M / $2.31M
Balwyn — 5 bed: $3.83M (36 sales) Mont Albert North — 5 bed: $2.31M (16 sales)

36 vs 16 sales

Zoning mix

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Residential 90% 80%
Parks and recreation 4% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 7%
Commercial 2% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Balwyn Mont Albert North
New dwellings approved 711
across Boroondara
 879
across Whitehorse
Approvals change year on year -40% +17%

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Houses 2.5%
$1,250/wk on $2.6M
 3.0%
$900/wk on $1.57M
Units 4.1%
$600/wk on $760K
 5.0%
$725/wk on $752K

Ranking within VIC

Balwyn Mont Albert North
House price Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Income Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Schools Higher than 85% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 7% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 4% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 13% of VIC Higher than 62% of VIC

Liveability

Balwyn is more walkable (93 vs 73).

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Grade A+
same for both
Score 87/100 86/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Balwyn carries more crime risk (62 vs 40); Mont Albert North carries more flood risk (38 vs 27).

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
62/100
 Moderate
40/100
Flood Low
27/100
 Low
38/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Inside the suburb 4 2
Rated above peers 2 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Hawthorn Campus John Street Hawthorn Swinburne University, 4.8 km
 2
Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 5.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.9% 4.4%

Schools in Balwyn

  • Balwyn Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Fintona Girls' School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Belmore School Government · Combined · Special school
  • St Paul's College Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Mont Albert North

  • Koonung Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Box Hill Senior Secondary College Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 27 3
Parks & reserves 8 5
Childcare 11 4
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 4 0
Banks & Bank@Post 6 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Mont Albert North sits further from the CBD (18 km vs 13.6 km).

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Walkability score 93/100 73/100
Distance to Melbourne 13.6 km 18 km
+32% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 24 min 23 min
Public transport score 80/100
Tram · Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 182.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 132.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.1%
postcode 3103
 2.3%
postcode 3129
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 20
postcode 3103
 23
postcode 3129

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Car (driver) 44.7% / 46.7%
Balwyn — Car (driver): 44.7% Mont Albert North — Car (driver): 46.7%
Worked from Home 43.7% / 43.8%
Balwyn — Worked from Home: 43.7% Mont Albert North — Worked from Home: 43.8%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 3.2%
Balwyn — Car (passenger): 3.5% Mont Albert North — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Train 2.3% / 2.3%
Balwyn — Train: 2.3% Mont Albert North — Train: 2.3%
Walked Only 2.4% / 1.3%
Balwyn — Walked Only: 2.4% Mont Albert North — Walked Only: 1.3%
Bus 1.4% / 1.8%
Balwyn — Bus: 1.4% Mont Albert North — Bus: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (46.7%).

Setting

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Elevation 80 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 63 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.5 km 13.9 km

NBN connectivity

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Connectivity score 78/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 12%
6,773 premises
 2%
2,450 premises

Climate

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Annual rainfall 777 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Balwyn Mont Albert North
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Average residential rate $2,253/yr $1,516/yr
Council Boroondara Whitehorse

Federal electorate

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Division Kooyong Menzies
Member Monique Ryan Gabriel Ng
Party Independent Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Balwyn Mont Albert North
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Balwyn

Luxury Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Mont Albert North

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Balwyn

Balwyn vs Kew Balwyn vs Balwyn North Balwyn vs Surrey Hills Balwyn vs Canterbury Balwyn vs Kew East Balwyn vs Mont Albert

Other comparisons with Mont Albert North

Mont Albert North vs Doncaster Mont Albert North vs Balwyn North Mont Albert North vs Box Hill Mont Albert North vs Box Hill North Mont Albert North vs Mont Albert
Full data on Balwyn Full data on Mont Albert North
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or